Faeted Under Fire by Cassidy K. O’Connor and Sheri Lyn

 

 

Blurb:

A human cop, a paranormal agent, and nine missing kids. Prejudice aside, they have to work together if they want to stop number ten.

Tristan James didn’t know he had a latent paranormal gene in his body until he was attacked on the job as an officer with Tampa PD and killed. As a phoenix shifter, he rose from the ashes and came back stronger than ever. Unfortunately, he was no longer human, this meant no job, no home, no friends. New purpose finds him with the help of a paranormal federal agency offering him a job. He has to put his own learned hatreds aside and accept the paranormals he was now one of.

Maddox Smith loved his job with the Paranormal Investigative Services. He knew what it was like to have no one looking out for you and that’s what made him a good agent. Someone is taking paranormal kids and he has no leads. When a recently turned human is booted from the police and brought to P.I.S. and partnered with him, Maddox wants nothing to do with him. What had the humans ever done for their kind?

Can they forget their biases and solve the case before there’s a tenth?

 

My review:

I LOVED THIS STORY! From the gorgeous cover to the very end I did not want it to end.

Tristan is a cop and he bleeds blue. He lives in a world where paranormals and humans live side by side neither trusting the other.

Maddox is the paranormals version of a cop. When Tristan is killed in the line and reborn a phoenix his world view is suddenly shifter. His human friends and co-workers want nothing to do with him. He has to learn to navigate a side of the world he knows nothing about. What he does know is being a cop. He and Maddox end up being partners and have to learn to trust one another.

This is a beautifully written slow burn tale of acceptance, prejudice and murder. I can’t recommend it enough.

 

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Irish Charmer (Brooklyn Kings #6) by L.K. Shaw

 

 

Blurb:

Lucia

For three years I've kept my son a secret in order to protect him from the dangers of the syndicate. A life his Irish father is still a part of.

When I have to return to Brooklyn, I don’t expect Nathan to be the first person I see. For a moment, the world disappears and it’s only the two of us. Until reality intrudes.

Because there’s no more hiding the fact that the blue-eyed, red-haired little boy at my side is his.

Nathan

Neither time nor the distance separating us has made me forget Lucia. From our first meeting, there’s been some part of her that calls to me.

With the discovery of my son, I’m even more determined to prove to her that she’s mine.

Soon though, a possessive stalker from her past re-emerges, and he wants her for himself. We begin a deadly game of hide-and-seek, and when it’s over, only one of us will be left standing.

 

My review:

This may be my very favorite in this series though it can be read standalone just fine.

Nathan is a sexy ginger haired guy who knows what he wants and what he wants is Lucia. Lucia might be older but they have a connection he wants to explore.

Lucia feels the connection to the younger man but she has been burnt once and wants nothing to do with his lifestyle.

A quickie ends up with Lucia pregnant in another country.

This secret baby, older woman/younger man story will have you rooting for them and flipping pages to see.

 

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Marked For Menace (Crashed and Claimed #4) by Susan Hayes

 

 

Blurb:

She survived impact… but her dreams burned up on re-entry.

Spending her inheritance on a luxury cruise is the most reckless thing Hope has ever done, and she’s loving every second of it… right up to the explosion.

Now she’s stuck on a strange planet filled with countless dangers and just one chance to survive. The problem? He’s huge, scarred, and the scariest thing on this planet. He’s also the sexiest male she’s ever seen. His protection comes at a price, though. Her.

The life she envisioned is gone forever, but she might be on the brink of finding something better… if she can let go of what she wants to embrace what she needs.

**Buckle up. This sci-fi romance contains an alien with fur, fangs, horns, and a very possessive attitude when it comes to the woman he’s claimed for his own.

 

My review:

Menace is a big furry behorned construct who along with his fellow constructs have been marooned on an inhospitable planet with only their   and brawn to survive.

Hope grew up on a mining planet as a sickly girl with autoimmune issues. She has finally overcome them and decided to celebrate by taking a matchmaking cruise. Sadly potential matches couldn’t see past the marks left by her illness. When the cruise ship is attacked Hope ejects in a safety pod and lands on the prison planet where Menace finds her.

Hope and Menace couldn’t be more right for each other. I loved watching Hope assert herself and Menaces responses were priceless.

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After the Bite (Argeneau Vampire Series #35) by Lynsay Sands

 

 

Blurb:

The Argeneaus are back! New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands returns with another sexy, passion-filled romance about everyone’s favorite vampires.

Immortal Enforcer Valerian just wants to relax. His last assignment had been more grueling than he’d care to admit, and golf has always helped him unwind. If golf course owner Natalie thinks it’s a little odd for him to tee off at sunset every evening, she’s keeping it to herself. The single mom is sexy as hell, and her little daughter Mia only adds to his delight. He knows Natalie is wary of a relationship of any kind…what will she think when she discovers he’s an Immortal? His best course of action is to woo her the old-fashioned way.

 

But the course of true love never did run smooth—especially for a vampire and a mortal. And when danger stalks Natalie, Valerian realizes he’s playing a game of life and death and if he loses this round, he risks losing her forever.

 

My review:

I have read and enjoyed every book in this series and it never gets old. Marguerite Argeneau has competition in the matchmaking game. Stephanie has the gift too. In After the Bite, immortal Valerian finds his mate and her young daughter working way too hard. He wants to take her away from it all but Natalie has been burned before and isn’t going to make it easy for him. This is another feel good escape that will leave you with a smile.

 

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Black Bears of Independence: Marek by K.R. Hall

 

 

Blurb:

Marek Malone is the head enforcer for the Hurst Family Clan in Estes Park and a bear shifter working undercover for the Keenesburg Wildlife Sanctuary. Someone is cursing shifters to remain in their shifted form.

 

Stephanie Dawn Winters is cursed to remain in her black panther form. She lives in the Keenesburg Wildlife Sanctuary. She knows that Marek is her true mate, but she can do nothing to let him know.

 

Marek knows something is drawing him to the black panther, but he can’t figure it out. After a few months, he starts hearing a female voice talking to him in his mind.

 

Stephanie can hardly believe that Marek is finally hearing her trying to speak to him with their mating bond link.

 

Now that Marek realizes that the black panther is, in reality, a shifter and his mate, can he break her curse? How did black panther get cursed to stay in her black panther form? Who is responsible for the curses?

 

My review:

This was an entertaining read. Black bear shifter Marek is an enforcer for his clan investigating shifters held captive at a wildlife sanctuary. He didn’t expect to find his mate there as one of the captive shifters cursed to stay in their animal forms. This story is filled with magic, action and love.

 

Buy link:

Amazon

 

Witch's Brew (Little Cakes Book 7) by Pepper North & Paige Michaels

 

Blurb:

Welcome to Little Cakes, the bakery that plays Daddy matchmaker!

First impressions don’t have to be everything, right?

Officer Avery Reynolds knows she’s blown it when the driver she pulls over for a broken taillight turns out to be the police captain. Forced to work with her new boss during the craziness of Halloween night, she tries to fight her attraction to the charismatic man who seems to see right through her professional persona.

Trace Barnes knows cops so well he can spot both the good and bad ones instantly. Avery, however, intrigues him. She’s an incredible asset to his police force, but there’s something special about her. Behind her professional mask, Trace knows she’s hiding a secret that rivals his own, if only he can dig deep enough to confirm it.

Little Cakes is a sweet and satisfying series, but dare to taste only if you like delicious Daddies, luscious Littles, and guaranteed happily-ever-afters.

 

My review:

Avery Reynolds is a woman working in a mans world. As a police detective she has to work twice as hard to gain the same respect as her male counterparts.  When her new boss tells her he is interested in a relationship with her she is so tempted but is afraid she will lose the respect of her peers.

I loved Avery. She is smart, driven and in touch with her emotions. I was rooting for her and Trace in this sweet addition to the series.

 

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Framed and Frosted (Cupcake Catering Mystery #3) by Kim Davis

 

Blurb:

Framed and Frosted, the third book in the Cupcake Catering Mystery series, finds cupcake caterer, Emory Martinez, working at a Laguna Beach society Fourth of July soiree, with her sister and their new employee, Sal. With a host who seems intent on accosting both catering employees and guests alike, things go from bad to worse when he accuses Sal of murdering his long-dead son. As the crescendo of exploding fireworks overhead becomes the backdrop for cupcakes and champagne, a deadly murder occurs. Can Sal and Emory explain why the cupcake the host ate, after shoving a trayful of buttercream-frosted cupcakes onto Sal, resulted in his death? Or will the detective and guests alike believe that Sal is a murderer? Emory and her octogenarian employer, Tillie, whip into action to find out who framed Sal after he was frosted by the victim. Includes recipes!

 

My review:

Emory Martinez, her dog Piper and her octogenarian employer, Tillie will steal your heart as they work together to find out who murdered Arthur and framed Sal. This story was as sweet and fun as the cupcakes Emory makes. A fun cozy mystery.

 

Buy link:

Amazon

A Season for Spies by Golden Angel

 

 

Blurb:

As she races to uncover the traitor, she can hide from him no longer...

Perpetually vexed by his misbehaving niece, the Marquess of Camden and Spymaster to the Crown is putting his foot down once and for all. If Evie wants to participate in the hunt for the traitor, she will do so under the auspices of Captain Anthony Browne... the man who once asked her to be his mistress after she seduced him. Not that she ever told her uncle about the encounter. But now the captain knows her true identity and there's going to be a passionate price to pay for her trickery.

After much confusion and frustration, Captain Anthony Browne has finally learned the identity of the mysterious tart who saved his life in a French brothel four years ago. But the last place he expected to find the lovely lightskirt with whom he shared a single night of pleasure is at the Marquess of Camden's side, where she is announced as the Spymaster's niece.

Evie has no intention of marrying, even if the domineering Captain is the one man she has never been able to forget. Her only wish is to beat him and everyone else to the traitor. Though the competition between them is fierce, their attraction is even more powerful, and temptation is becoming harder and harder to resist.

My review:

Evie gets her man! Evie has had an unusual upbringing and it shows in her manner. She only behaves because she doesn’t want to bring shame upon her uncle the Marquess of Camden who took her in and gave her a future. She is smart and a gifted mimic. She uses her skills in a most unladylike way to help her uncle the Queens spymaster. Evie met Captain Anthony Browne a couple of times in her alternate personalities and captivated him. This book has them meeting again with her as herself and oh my the fireworks between them. This is a fast-paced romp with a lot of steam and fun characters.

 

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Sweetwater & the Witch (Ghost Hunters #15) by Jayne Castle

 

 

Blurb:

Welcome to the world of Harmony, where—despite its name, things are anything but—danger lurks just beneath the surface in this new novel by New York Times bestselling author, Jayne Castle.

If there’s something Ravenna Chastain knows, it’s when to end things. And after she almost winds up the victim of a cult that believes she’s a witch, it’s easy to walk away from her dead-end career, ready for a new start. But where to find a job that would allow her to use her very specialized skill set? The answer is clear: she becomes a matchmaker.

But even a successful matchmaker can’t find someone for everyone, and Ravenna considers Ethan Sweetwater her first professional failure. After nine failed dates, Ravenna knows it’s time to cut Ethan loose. But Ethan refuses to be fired as a client—he needs one final date to a business function. Since Ravenna needs a date herself to a family event, they agree to a deal: she will be his (business) date if he will be her (fake) date to her grandparents’ anniversary celebration.

What Ethan fails to mention is that attending the business function is a cover for some industrial espionage that he’s doing as a favor to the new Illusion Town Guild boss. Ravenna is happy to help, but their relationship gets even more complicated when things heat up—the chemistry between them is explosive, as explosive as the danger that’s stalking Ravenna. Lucky for her, Ethan isn’t just an engineer—he’s also a Sweetwater, and Sweetwaters are known for hunting down monsters…

 

My review:

Whether it’s by Jayne Ann Krentz, Amanda Quick or Jayne Castle this author is an auto-buy for me. Sweetwater & the Witch takes us back to Harmony with its peculiar weather, quirky residents and dust bunnies that make Stitch look like Tinkerbelle.

Sweetwater & the Witch tells the tale of Ravenna Chastain a former profiler and current matchmaker with a gift for fire (who stole my heart with popcorn and fireworks) and a gifted engineer Ethan Sweetwater with a talent for hunting. These two start out as fire and ice and end up heating up the page. The thing you need to know about Harmony is that the worst monsters on the planet are human. This is a fantastic addition to the series.

 

Buy links:

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BAM

Hunted in Darkness ( Aspen Pack #2) by Carrie Ann Ryan

 

Blurb:

The Aspen Pack series from NYT Bestselling Carrie Ann Ryan continues with a fated romance that was never supposed to happen.

Skye Jamenson-Anderson knows the legacy she must live up to. She’s the daughter of warriors and the granddaughter of the late Alphas who sacrificed everything so their den could survive. Though she feels she doesn’t have a place in her Pack, she does everything in her power to keep them and their allies alive—including saving the Aspen Alpha.

As Alpha of the Aspen Pack, Chase Leyne knows a thing or two about one’s legacy. He’s the son of a traitor and the most powerful wolf in his territory. He also knows without a doubt that Skye is not his mate. When the two decide to lean on another in every way possible, they both go in knowing nothing forever can come out of it.

The enemy is stepping up their game and threaten the stability of the alliance forged in blood. With one bite, Chase and Skye’s world changes, and the one thing that is keeping them apart might be the only promise to save their Packs and their future.

 

My review:

Skye doesn’t fit in anywhere but she fits in wherever she’s needed at the time. She is so confused. She isn’t a dominant, a submissive, a maternal, a healer or any of the other pack titles and as a wolf shifter she needs that title to know where she belongs. She’s been spending time training with the Aspen Pack and as a soldier she has put herself in harms way to protect their Alpha.

Chase is the Aspen Pack alpha who drives himself to be the Alpha they need not like his father an alpha who used and abused. He is a protector who resents being protected especially by the beautiful Redwood Pack female.

I loved Skye and Chase and just knew they could heal each others hearts. This friends with benefits tale will suck you in and keep you flipping pages.

 

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Where'd You Get That Keeper: Jeepers Reapers by Marianne Dambry

 

 

Blurb:

★Librarian by day. Keeper by night★

What a way to start a weekend getaway. Secluded beach house? Walks along the warm surf with a hot guy? Finding a ghost box with a soul trapped inside? Nuh uh.

It’s my new thing, or more accurately, my new job. That’s me. Louisa Jericho. Not-so-mild mannered librarian by day, and Keeper by night. My job guiding the dearly departed to their next adventure is pretty cool, except for my hot flashes every time a Reaper is near.

So why is this ghost box and this soul giving me headaches? First, it washed up on a beach belonging to the Angel of Death, a.k.a. my boss. Second, this soul isn’t just any soul. It belongs to another Keeper. Which should be impossible.

Now everyone at Memento Mori, a.k.a Death Central, wants to know what happened and why?

Guess whose job it is to find out?

 

My review:

 

Where'd You Get That Keeper is a fantastic follow up to Jeepers Reapers. If you haven’t read Jeepers Reapers you really should read it prior to this book. In this installment Louisa and Cade grow ever closer. While exploring their new dynamic Louisa finds a ghost box with a soul trapped inside which sends her and Cade on a quest that has Louisa finding confidence in her new position but learning how much she has yet to learn. This is an exciting caper with characters you’d want to hang out with.

 

Buy links:

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Delighted (Masters and Mercenaries #24.5) by Lexi Blake

 

Blurb:

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake comes a new story in her Masters and Mercenaries series…

Brian “Boomer” Ward believes in sheltering strays. After all, the men and women of McKay-Taggart made him family when he had none. So when the kid next door needs help one night, he thinks nothing of protecting her until her mom gets home. But when he meets Daphne Carlton, the thoughts hit him hard. She’s stunning and hardworking and obviously in need of someone to put her first. It doesn’t hurt that she’s as sweet as the cupcakes she bakes.

Daphne Carlton’s life revolves around two things—her kid and her business. Daphne’s Delights is her dream—to take the recipes of her childhood and share them with the world. Her daughter, Lula, is the best kid she could have hoped for. Lula’s got a genius-level intelligence and a heart of gold. But she also has two grandparents who control her access to private school and the fortune her father left behind. They’re impossible to please, and Daphne worries that one wrong move on her part could cost her daughter the life she deserves.

As Daphne and Boomer find themselves getting closer, outside forces put pressure on the new couple. But if they make it through the storm, love will just be the icing on the cake because family is the real prize.

 

My review:

I LOVE Boomer! Boomer is not your average alpha book boyfriend. Sure he’s smokin’ but he feels less than because he is dyslexic and it takes him a little longer to learn things. He has a heart of gold and a curiosity for new things.

Daphne has come a long way in finding herself and raising her daughter. Lula is so smart Boomer could be intimidated but she is a little girl and he reminds her of that and encourages her to be more than her brain.

I loved this sweet and sexy story.

 

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Honor 'N' Duty (Federal K-9 #6) by Tee O'Fallon

 

 

Blurb:

Two years after his brother’s murder in jail, Department of Homeland Security K-9 Officer Kade Sampson is still haunted by guilt. No man should ever have to arrest his own brother, even if he is laundering money for a drug cartel. Fortunately, Laia Velez—his brother’s gorgeous widow—never learned the truth about Kade’s involvement. But when she asks him for help, he knows that trouble with the cartel is far from over…

Kade is the last person Laia wants to call. But between her house being thoroughly trashed and the uneasy sense that she and her young daughter are being watched, Laia isn’t taking any chances. The cartel wants something from her. And Kade and his K-9 partner, Smoke, are her only chance to survive whatever fresh hell is coming their way…

Now Laia and Kade are trying to stay one step ahead in a game that’s growing more deadly by the minute. But what the cartel wants, the cartel gets. And Kade is running out of time to save the woman he loves from the same fate that killed his brother…

 

My review:

Fantastic romantic suspense! Kade and Smoke will make you swoon. Kade has been raised from the cradle with the concept of honor even if it costs him the woman he could love. This book had all the feels and though it is part of a wonderful series it stands on its own just fine.

 

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Crave Me (Immortal Vices and Virtues Book 4) by Lexi C. Foss

 

 

Blurb:

Once upon a time, a series of portals opened on Earth, allowing magic to spill into the human world.

Houses were created. Supernaturals were assigned. And a new balance was formed.

All new arrivals are required to join a House.

But this is the tale of a goddess who refused and the House King who brought her to heel.

Nyx.

Goddess of Night.

My newest obsession.

The daring female killed one of my men.

Which made it my job as the Gold and Garnet House King to make her pay.

Oh, there were so many things I wanted to do with that disobedient little mouth of hers. But she was much stronger than she led anyone to believe.

Now I’m left with a craving I can’t quite sate.

Because one bite wasn’t enough.

You may be the Goddess of Night, but I’m still your king.

You will kneel.

You will beg.

And most importantly, you will bleed.

Welcome to the House of Gold and Garnet, where power defines the monarchy and blood is a preferred currency.

Proceed at your own risk.

Author’s Note: Crave Me is a dark standalone paranormal romance set in the Immortal Vices and Virtues Universe. Every book in this shared world is a guaranteed happily-ever-after with a satisfying ending and no cliffhangers.

For fans of the Blood Alliance series, this is the story of Nyx and Vesperus, the goddess and her vampire lover that started it all…

 

My review:

Two strong individuals with chemistry to spare. Nyx is the Goddess of Night and Vesperus is an ancient vampire and king of the House of Gold and Garnet. The power struggle between these two is just foreplay for the passions that brew between them. This is a steamy fun read.

 

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Catering to Love (Departments of Love Book 1) by Joshua Ian

 

Blurb:

Step into the sumptuous world of Hartridge & Casas, the Edwardian shopping palace, in this exciting new series. Every department serves its customers luxury, and, behind the scenes, serves its employees romance and intrigue.

After training under the famed Escoffier, Henri is now Head Chef at the Royal Tea Room - the jewel in the crown of the newly opened Hartridge & Casas department store. With his sights set on one day opening his own restaurant, Henri has no time for distractions, especially not love. But his moorings are shaken loose when Nico, a charming and gorgeous new waiter, appears.

However, the interfering adventurer Lord Ockley is determined to have Nico all to himself. When he can't, he threatens to expose Nico and Henri's relationship, risking not only the destruction of their careers and reputations, but possibly even worse.

Will Henri abandon his career dreams for the love of the only man who has ever touched his soul? Can Nico convince Henri that love is the most important dream of all?

Set against the backdrop of the 1908 Summer Olympics and the historic Franco-British Exhibition, Catering to Love is the story of two men trying to find love in a society where the mere mention of their passion risks ruin.

Buoyed by a colorful cast of characters, they cook up a new meaning to romance. It's a new century, with London blossoming into modernity, and love is the most important ingredient.

 

My review:

This book immerses you in early 1900’s England. There, set among the excitement of a new century we find the newly opened Hartridge & Casas department store. A store where you can find the wonders of the world and have a bite to eat at the Royal Tea Room. It is in the kitchens of the Royal Tea Room that you will find Henri and Nico the subjects of this tale. Despite the advancements made in this new century their love is still illegal and must be hidden in the shadows. What will Henri and Nico give up to be together? I loved visiting in Henri and Nicos world and their fight for love.

 

Buy links:

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A Wedded Midlife (Witching After Forty Book 13) by L.A. Boruff and Lia Davis

 

 

Blurb:

Ava and Drew are getting married!

SQUEE!

But it’s not going to be easy. C’mon, this is Ava we’re talking about.

As her powers go completely bonkers, everything that can go wrong suddenly does. After all, she’s a witch and her beloved is technically a witch hunter.

Drew’s family isn’t helping matters either. Everyone Ava loves turns out to be a creature that freaks them all out.

Witches? Check.

Vampires? Check.

Shifters? Check.

Ghouls? Check (Check, check.)

Add in the devil, a snarky talking cat, and the fae (boy, they are not helpful at all).

It seems like the only direction anyone will be marching is away from each other as quickly as possible.

The last thing Ava needs as she tries to get to the altar is an old nemesis turning up, so surprise, surprise that’s exactly what happens. As chaos wreaks havoc for the witches and hunters alike, Luci decides that now is the perfect time to go MIA. The devil is in the details, and it turns out no one knows anything about this demon king after all.

Will it be hell on earth or happily ever after for the newlyweds?

No one’s really sure yet...

 

My review:

Have you read the others in this wonderfully wacky series? No? Before you enter the madness that is this story perhaps a little background would help. I would totally recommend reading the books before this. They are quick, fun and out of this world nutso. That being said add in the madness of wedding planning, mixing a magical family with a family of paranormal monster hunters and the chaotic madness that is Ava’s life and you have an over-the-top blast of manic entertainment.

 

Buy links:

Amazon